I had always liked creating things with my hands - building Lego models, sketching and painting were hobbies that turned into the main focus of my life. This was my earliest memories of the passion that spurred me on to select Diploma of Architecture (DARCH) at the Singapore Polytechnic as my academic study and pursuit.

The best thing about the School of Architecture and the Built Environment course, Diploma in Architectural (DARCH), is that it provides students the opportunity to be involved in a myriad of projects, including social and community related ones. This was a natural extension of my personal interests – buildings that could house thousands, provide interactive work places or become icons of a city. They all have a common goal and that is ‘to make a positive impact on someone else’s life’.

I participated in numerous overseas study trips, such as the one in Sarawak in 2011 where I was involved in the Habitat for Humanity and together as a group, constructed part of a house for the poor. I was thankful for the opportunity to experience first-hand the challenges of constructing a life-sized house and bonding with the less privileged.

With its studio and project-based curriculum and competent internship programme, DARCH broadened my mind in the realm of innovative design and creativity, while preparing me for the real world in the architectural building industry. Thinking back, my lecturers and classmates had made my three years of academics study and experience in SP a very memorable and fulfilling one indeed.